Department for Transport

Roads: Accidents

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their statistical releaseReported road casualties in Great Britain: 2018 annual report, published on 26 September 2019 and the reported 1,784 road deaths in 2018,how many such deaths there were in (1) each month, and (2) each quarter, of each of the last five years for which figures are available.

baroness vere of norbiton: The number of fatalities in reported road accidents in Great Britain by month and quarter for the last five available years can be found in the tables below.Fatalities in reported road accidents by month, Great Britain, 2014-2018  Month20142015201620172018January128141150137137February117128133132121March131110143121124April140134148122125May128147154140159June160139140142129July153164147138154August146161158167157September158129150163148October145155145196186November170149153176170December199173171159174Total1,7751,7301,7921,7931,784Source: DfT, STATS19Fatalities in reported road accidents by quarter, Great Britain, 2014-2018  Quarter20142015201620172018Q1 (Jan-Mar)376379426390382Q2 (Apr-Jun)428420442404413Q3 (Jul-Sep)457454455468459Q4 (Oct-Dec)514477469531530Total1,7751,7301,7921,7931,784Source: DfT, STATS19

Motorways: Road Signs and Markings

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Highways Englandplans to use any smart motorway infrastructure to promote the Great British Spring Clean.

baroness vere of norbiton: This will be the fifth year that Highways England has taken part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, with this campaign now rescheduled to 11 – 27 September 2020. As in previous years, they will promote the campaign and their involvement through a variety of media channels. Highways England use variable message signs to provide immediate safety advice or information that helps motorists with their journeys and have no plans to use variable message signs to promote the Great British Spring Clean.

Roads: Litter

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to the collection and clearance of roadside litter in their Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025 policy paper.

baroness vere of norbiton: On the areas of the Strategic Road Network where Highways England bears direct responsibility for litter clearance, Highways England’s agreements with its maintenance contractors requires them to carry out litter picking as a core contractual requirement. As a result, it is not possible to specify how much funding provided for road maintenance is allocated specifically to litter clearance. RIS2 introduces a performance indicator measuring the percentage of the SRN where litter is graded at B or above under the Litter Code of Practice, a widely-used definition of litter condition. Further detail of the metric scope will be laid out in Highways England’s Operational Metrics Manual, which is due to be published later in the Spring.

Aviation: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Air Accidents Investigation BranchReport on the accident toPiper PA-46-310P Malibu, N264DB22 nm north-north-west of Guernseyon 21 January 2019, published on 13 March,what assessment they have made of the additional checks required to ensure that pilots operating outside the Air Operations Centre structure have the required licences, certificates and ratings for the flights they undertake.

baroness vere of norbiton: Each pilot has a legal responsibility to make sure they can safely and legally operate each flight they make. If pilots fail to comply they are flying illegally and can be subject to prosecution. Where the CAA has evidence that pilots are flying without the correct licences and ratings they will take appropriate action which can include prosecuting the offenders. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) made a recommendation that “the Civil Aviation Authority ensure that the system in place to meet the requirements of EASA Part ARA. GEN.220 is effective in maintaining accurate and up-to-date records related to personnel licences, certificates and ratings”. This was not designed to stop a pilot who chooses to operate outside the privileges of their licence, and it will not do so. Such requirements (to check licences etc) already exist for properly constituted operations in accordance with commercial regulations (with an Air Operators Certificate). The AAIB recommendation was intended to ensure that routine changes to a pilot’s licence (such as new ratings) are reflected accurately against the CAA’s record for that pilot. Pilots of private flights do not have their credentials checked every time they go flying, as such a system would be disproportionate to the risks associated with the activity.

Charter Flights: Safety

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional measures they intend to introduce to raise awareness among passengers of (1) the dangers and (2) the potential legal repercussions,of being carried on a so-called "grey" charter flight.

baroness vere of norbiton: The CAA conducts awareness campaigns with the aim of highlighting to the consumer the dangers of illegal operations, and what to look for when chartering an aircraft to ensure the flight is legal. One such campaign, called "Legal to Fly", is currently underway. So far this has seen the CAA distribute awareness material aimed at prospective passengers to over 200 UK airfields and commercial operators. This will be followed by a wider campaign aimed at the general travelling public that may seek to use small charter flights.

Aircraft: Monitoring

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Civil Aviation Authority monitors the operation and maintenance of foreign registered aircraft based in the UK; and what assessment they have made of the number of US-registered aircraft which are habitually based in the UK.

baroness vere of norbiton: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) listed 729 American registered aircraft as resident in the UK on 17 July 2019. This includes business aviation and private non-commercial operators. The Business aviation owners will be regulated in accordance with the Commercial Air Transport rules. The UK CAA conducts Aircraft Continuing Airworthiness Monitoring (ACAM) surveys each year and American registered and other non-UK registered aircraft are included in those samples.

Aviation: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to address urgently the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch over the issue of maintaining accurate and up-to-date records relating to pilot and engineer licences, certificates and ratings issued by the CAA.

baroness vere of norbiton: The CAA is actively studying the recommendations from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and will take whatever action is necessary. A programme to update its licensing administration system is currently underway. At no time have any issues with these systems affected its ability to accurately process and issue licences.

Charter Flights: Safety

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review urgently the legislationrelating to cost sharing of flights and day leasing of aircraft.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport and the CAA keep all existing legislation under constant review, in order to maintain the UK's high standards of aviation safety. Cost-sharing was not applicable to the accident involving Emiliano Sala, although the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report refers to the practice in a more general context. American registered aircraft are subject to US cost-sharing rules which apply the ‘common purpose’ principle. There was no common purpose between the pilot and passenger on the accident flight, and so cost-sharing was not applicable.

Aircraft: Registration

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why owners of high performance light aircraft based in the UK choose to registersuch aircrafton the US aircraft register under a Trust arrangement, rather than the UK aircraft register.

baroness vere of norbiton: The operation of non-UK registered aircraft in the UK is permitted under regulations made by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The government commissioned an independent review into the UK approach to general aviation (GA) safety. This report is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the CAA’s website. While it looks at GA safety in the round, it found that traditionally the two main reasons why people may register aircraft on the US register are the ability to use a US Federal Aviation Administration Pilot Instrument Rating, and a sometimes-different approach to maintenance requirements. These reasons are becoming less significant with the development of the new European Basic Instrument Rating to provide greater and easier access to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying and the introduction of a new Part M Light maintenance regime for private non-commercial aircraft. Full findings on the use of N-Registered aircraft in the UK GA sector are available at Appendix C-2 5.0 of the aforementioned review.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government which categories of freelance workers and sole traders will be eligible for the COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

lord callanan: The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme is available to self-employed individuals with an eligible business entity. The scheme is open to sole traders, freelancers, body corporates, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships or any other legal entity carrying out a business activity in the United Kingdom, with a turnover of less than £45m, operating in most sectors. The turnover of the business must generate more than 50% of its turnover from trading activity. Lenders, such as banks, are responsible for providing loans supported by the guarantee. The exact terms of each loan and length of application will depend on the circumstances of the borrower: lenders are fully aware of the current urgency with which some businesses need to access finance to support cash-flow during this difficult time, so we would expect them to respond appropriately to their customers’ needs. The list of participating lenders that provide Coronavirus Interruption Business Loan Scheme facilities published on the British Business Bank website.

Tickets: Refunds

viscount trenchard: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to suspend the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which require refunds for the cancellation of events to be paid within 14 days of request.

lord callanan: The Government recognises the extremely difficult circumstances businesses are currently facing, which is why on 17 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a wide range of support for businesses, in addition to the £30bn of support announced in the budget. The Government is keeping the relevant rules under review.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

France: Coronavirus

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement regarding COVID-19 by the Prime Minister of France on 18 March that "if neighbouring states such as the United Kingdom spend too long continuing to avoid these containment measures, then we would have difficulty accepting British nationals who would move freely in their own country and then come to our country."

baroness sugg: We are working closely with the international community, including the Government of France, to ensure that we respond appropriately to COVID-19. The Foreign Secretary spoke to his French counterpart, Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, to discuss the international community's response to COVID-19 on 24 March.The UK's global priority is to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other multilateral actors to contain COVID-19 and mitigate secondary health and socio-economic impacts. Our approach is guided by the Chief Medical Officer, working on the basis of the best possible scientific evidence.

Gibraltar

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Gibraltar has access to any opportunities that arise from the UK’s departure from the EU.

baroness sugg: The United Kingdom is negotiating the future relationship with the EU on behalf of the whole United Kingdom family, including Gibraltar. We continue to work with the Government of Gibraltar, in keeping with the mature and modern constitutional relationship which Gibraltar enjoys with the United Kingdom, and we will remain steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, its people and economy.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid: Coronavirus

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the £46 million aid package to fight the spread of COVID-19, announced on 6 March, will be deployed to assist health systems in vulnerable countries.

baroness sugg: The UK is at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. We are using UK aid to its full effect to counter the health, humanitarian and economic risks of this pandemic. Since the £46 million was announced, the UK has committed further resources, up to £241 million of funding to support the global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19.These funds are supporting three main areas of work: helping developing countries manage the crisis by supporting the operations of the UN, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the provision of expert advice; supporting the International Monetary Fund to relieve debt servicing pressures on countries struggling with the virus; and supporting international scientific efforts to develop diagnosis tests and vaccines. Furthermore, through our ongoing overseas operations, DFID is supporting programmes in over 20 countries to improve health systems, such as by building capability for health security through disease surveillance and response.

Department for International Development

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development will remain the UK Government Department responsible for administering overseas aid; and whether the goal of that Department will continue to be “to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty”.

baroness sugg: DFID continues to lead the UK’s work to reduce poverty and deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, maximising opportunities to work jointly with other government departments as demonstrated by the cross-Government response, jointly led by DFID and FCO, to supporting global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM has appointed a fully joint junior ministerial team, along with separate Secretaries of State for the Foreign Office and DFID, to ensure the departments will work more closely overseas to deliver the Government’s objectives. DFID ministers retain authority over decisions on DFID aid spending and accountability for all financial resources remains within existing departmental lines.

Department for International Development: Publications

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the corporate report to replace theSingle departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, which was withdrawn on 13 March.

baroness sugg: Single Departmental Plans are updated annually setting out the Department’s plans to deliver the Global Goals. The most recent version was uploaded in June 2019 and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-development-single-departmental-plan/department-for-international-development-single-departmental-plan--2Plans will be updated once departments have prepared them as part of the normal government planning and performance process.

Department for Education

Female Genital Mutilation: Education

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether female genital mutilation education in schools is having a positive impact.

baroness jenkin of kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of female genital mutilation education in schools on any stigma experienced by children of African descent.

baroness berridge: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is child abuse and it is illegal. Services, including schools, should safeguard children from this abuse as from any other form of abuse. Keeping children safe in education is statutory safeguarding guidance. All schools must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance sets out that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and that all school staff should receive appropriate safeguarding training at induction and that the training should be regularly updated. The guidance states that all staff should speak to the school’s designated safeguarding lead with regard to any concerns about FGM. It then goes on to explain the specific legal duty placed on teachers to report an act of FGM on a girl under the age of 18 to the police. The guidance is available here and attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. From September 2020, we are making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.The statutory guidance states that by the end of secondary education, pupils should have been taught about FGM. Schools should address the physical and emotional damage caused by FGM. They should also be taught where to find support and that it is a criminal offence to perform or assist in the performance of FGM or fail to protect a person for whom you are responsible from FGM. As well as addressing this in the context of the law, pupils may also need support to recognise when relationships (including family relationships) are unhealthy or abusive (including the unacceptability of neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse and violence, including honour-based violence and forced marriage) and strategies to manage this or access support for oneself or others at risk. All teaching for these subjects should be age as well as developmentally appropriate and sensitive to the needs of the pupil. This includes ensuring that no pupil feels stigmatised. Schools for example should work closely with the local community and key partners such as school nurses, as well as draw on local health data, when planning their teaching for any aspect of these subjects. 



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Pupils: Exercise

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure girls in primary schools meet the recommended levels of activity in the UK.

baroness berridge: The government published its ‘School sport and activity action plan’ in July 2019. It set out cross-government action to provide children with greater opportunity to take part in the recommended 60 minutes of sport and physical activity every day, on average. This included actions relevant to supporting girls in primary school to be more active. Since 2013, the government has provided over £1 billion to primary schools to improve the quality of their physical education (PE) provision, through the PE and Sport Premium. Details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools. The government is working to promote girls’ and women’s sport more widely. Sport England will provide £1 million funding to help girls’ confidence to take part in sport and activity as part of the successful This Girl Can campaign, which has already inspired over 3.9 million women and girls to take steps to get active. The government will publish an updated school and sport activity plan following the Comprehensive Spending Review and will consider what more can be done to promote physical activity by girls to include in that plan. Ahead of that, the Budget has confirmed that £90 million will be provided over the next four years to support primary school PE teaching and help schools make best use of their sports facilities.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Sleeping Rough

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were (1) counted, and (2) estimated, as sleeping rough in England the last time that those figures were recorded.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. That is why we have committed to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament and to enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act.My Department's latest official annual Rough Sleeping Snapshot Statistics, published on 27 February 2020, provide information about the estimated number of people sleeping rough across local authorities in England on a single night.   The number of people counted and estimated as sleeping rough in England on a single night in Autumn 2019 is given in the table below:ApproachNumber of local authorities% of local authoritiesEstimated countCount78252079Estimate239752187Total3171004266In 2020/2021 the Government is providing £492 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This marks a £124 million increase in funding from the previous year and will go towards funding important programmes such as the Rough Sleeping Initiative, Homelessness Reduction Grant and Flexible Homelessness Support Grant.

Travelling People: Coronavirus

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there is protection from eviction for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government takes the welfare of all citizens seriously and we are working hard to ensure those most at risk are identified and supported including those in GRT communities who will be receiving support alongside others.The Government is also holding regular discussions with community representatives to understand issues faced and are looking into what guidance and support is required for Local authorities, who have a responsibility to look after vulnerable groups.We are sending a clear message to landlords that they should do everything possible to avoid evictions – particularly where households are facing hardship as a result of coronavirus.Where a person’s main home is on a camp site or caravan park, those sites can stay open.We are urgently introducing emergency legislation to protect tenants in social and private accommodation from an eviction process being started and are considering what further action may be appropriate. In the meantime, we are urging the landlords of those on licences to follow the same guidance to work with renters who may be facing hardship as a result of Covid-19.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Coronavirus

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use Armed Forces personnel, andin particular any such personnel with specialist medical training, to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness goldie: Defence has a number of existing contingency plans in place to provide support to civil authorities, including to the NHS. Our personnel are already providing assistance in a number of capacities and this includes those with specialist medical training. Considering the likely additional call on military assistance to mitigate COVID-19 related staff absences in civil authorities, and the increasing volume of patients requiring treatment by the NHS, Defence is constantly monitoring and enhancing its plans, training and readiness in order to support additional requests.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Coronavirus

lord kirkwood of kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to redeploying those health professionals currently under contract to the Department for Work and Pensions and employed by the assessment provider companies Maximus, Capita and Atos to roles within the NHS to assist with the effort to resist the spread of COVID-19.

baroness stedman-scott: We are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care to consider how best to support the NHS during this period whilst ensuring that we can continue to provide financial support to claimants through the benefit system. We welcome our Providers’ continued support and flexibility during this period.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

lord kirkwood of kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Department for Work and Pensions assessors are currently tasked with carrying out telephone assessments for eligibility to disability benefits.

baroness stedman-scott: The information requested is not held. Health Professionals in addition to conducting telephone assessments, can undertake a range of other duties commensurate with their training, for example, scrutiny, quality audit and training.The Government announced on 16 March 2020 that all face-to-face assessments for all sickness and disability benefits will be suspended. The temporary move, effective from 17 March 2020, is being taken as a precautionary measure to protect vulnerable people from unnecessary risk of exposure to coronavirus as the country's response ramps up in the 'delay' phase. We will ensure those who are entitled to a benefit continue to receive support, and that new claimants are able to access the safety net.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

lord kirkwood of kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a temporary passporting system to move people on to disability benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Protection

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to establish a national environment day; and whether the Keep Britain Tidy campaignwill be part of any such plans.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government has no current plans to declare a National Environment Day. There are already a number of established initiatives that encourage care for the environment, including World Environment Day. Defra is working with Keep Britain Tidy to deliver the “Keep it, Bin it” campaign. We are also pleased to support their “Great British Spring Clean” campaign, which has now been rescheduled for the autumn. The Government made a commitment through the 25 Year Environment Plan to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. 2019 was designated the Year of Green Action in support of the 25 Year Environment Plan goal to connect people with the environment to improve health and well-being.

Home Office

Immigrants: Health Services

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an impact assessment of the proposed increase in the immigration health surcharge; and whether any such assessment will include the impact on children's rights.

baroness williams of trafford: The Impact assessment for the Immigration Health Surcharge Order can be found here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2020/30/pdfs/ukia_20200030_en.pdfA policy equality statement and family test have also been completed.



Legislation - UKIA 2020/30
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Immigrants: Health Services

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to exempting NHS workers from the immigration health surcharge.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government fully recognises the role overseas Doctor’s Nurses and Allied Health Professional play in our NHS, hence we are working to introduce an NHS visa for qualified health professionals who will be offered fast track entry, reduced visa fees and dedicated support to come to the UK with their families.Yet it is right all who come to work in the UK contribute towards the cost of providing the NHS services they will have access to from their arrival as do providers of other essential public services such as teachers and care-workers. Those who show a long-term commitment to our country become exempt from the immigration health surcharge when they secure Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Leisure: Coronavirus

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to (1) festivals, (2) recording studios, and (3) nightclubs, on whether they will be covered by the Government's proposed support to the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness barran: Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced additional measures to support businesses and organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic. So long as they fulfil the criteria for these measures, businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors will benefit from these measures. This includes the Government stepping in to help pay people’s wages – a scheme which is one of the most generous of any in the world – and paying grants to support as many jobs as necessary. Any employer in the country who promises to retain their staff can apply for a grant to cover most of the cost of paying people’s wages. Government grants will cover 80 per cent of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month, with this limit set well above the median income. The cost of wages will be backdated to 1st March and will be open for at least three months. The Government will consider extending the scheme for longer if necessary. We are also deferring the next three months of VAT, a direct injection of £33 billion of cash to employers which means no business will pay any VAT in March, April or May; and they will have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will now be interest free for twelve months, an extension from the initial announcement of six months. We have already introduced and announced an extension to the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which is for small and medium-sized businesses. On 17 March, the Chancellor expanded the amount that can be borrowed from £1.2 million to £5 million. The Chancellor has also announced measures to protect the self-employed. As long as they fulfil the necessary criteria, freelancers and the self-employed in the sectors in question will benefit from these measures. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month.

Music: Festivals and Special Occasions

viscount trenchard: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toprovide loans to music festival operators to cover a fixed percentage of staff salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness barran: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced additional measures to support businesses and organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic. So long as they fulfil the criteria for these measures, businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors will benefit from these measures. This includes the Government stepping in to help pay people’s wages – a scheme which is one of the most generous of any in the world – and paying grants to support as many jobs as necessary. Any employer in the country who promises to retain their staff can apply for a grant to cover most of the cost of paying people’s wages. Government grants will cover 80 per cent of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month, with this limit set well above the median income. The cost of wages will be backdated to 1st March and will be open for at least three months. The Government will consider extending the scheme for longer if necessary. We are also deferring the next three months of VAT, a direct injection of £33 billion of cash to employers which means no business will pay any VAT in March, April or May; and they will have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will now be interest free for twelve months, an extension from the initial announcement of six months. We have already introduced and announced an extension to the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which is for small and medium-sized businesses. On 17 March, the Chancellor expanded the amount that can be borrowed from £1.2 million to £5 million. The Chancellor has also announced measures to protect the self-employed. As long as they fulfil the necessary criteria, freelancers and the self-employed in the music industry will benefit from these measures. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month.

Gambling Act 2005

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Barran on 18 March (HL2292), whether they will now answer the question put: when the (1) terms of reference, (2) call for evidence, and (3) deadlines, of the review of the Gambling Act 2005 will be announced.

baroness barran: We will announce further details of the review once scoping work is complete. Ministers and the Gambling Commission have made clear to online operators that while we recognise the challenges the sector is facing dealing with the impact of Covid-19, they must continue to comply with licence conditions, protect consumers and address any new risks of gambling related harm during this period.